1,969 questions
Sorry, Normal.dotm must remain a .dotm file. You'll have to remove the macros from it and redistribute to users.
Normal.dotm file producing error becuase macros have been disabled
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Joshua Reynolds
6
Reputation points
We have disabled Macros in word but users are now getting this error message because when the normal.dotm file loads, as its obviously macro enabled. Are we able to to change the .dotm to a .dotx file or block the error message from appearing?
It doesn't stop the blank file from loading and users going about their day just adds an annoying pop up or two on load and close of word.
Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows
3 answers
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John Korchok 6,126 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator2022-02-01T14:52:16.533+00:00 -
Charles Kenyon 3,136 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator2022-02-01T20:37:46.91+00:00 - You should not be distributing Normal.dotm to existing installations. What are you trying to accomplish by doing this?
- This should be stored in the User Templates folder which should be a Trusted Location for macros.
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm#UserTemplates
These days, unless it is set up otherwise, this folder would not be where users actually store their own templates.See also: Workgroup templates, which are intended for enterprise-level templates
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm#Workgroup -
Joshua Reynolds 6 Reputation points
2022-02-02T06:48:21.133+00:00 Thanks but it already has no built in macros inside the document. If the file remains a normal.dotm file it will always be macro enabled and produce the error.
Also this is only an issue for the user we have completely disabled macro's for as this has been a request from security, thus moving back to trusted locations breaks the intended model. We have selected users with trusted signed macro's enabled they as expected do not produce this error.
Is there any way to supress the error message from loading or showing to the user? as there is no ill effect and the users can still write to a blank document so this would be the preferred method
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John Korchok 6,126 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2022-02-02T13:17:00.81+00:00 Sorry, but you're mistaken. A Normal.dotm that is genuinely without macros (or other content like ActiveX controls, also mentioned in the error) will not raise that message. Here's a method to try:
- Close Word.
- Move the Normal.dotm file out of the templates folder, or rename it.
- Open Word.
- Close Word.
- A new, blank Normal.dotm file is automatically created.
- Open Word. Do you still get the error?
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Charles Kenyon 3,136 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2022-02-02T17:25:42.327+00:00 - Is this actually stored in the User Templates folder?
- Do you have that folder as a trusted location.
Again, the only template that Word will recognize for these purposes is Normal.dotm, a macro-enabled template.
Here is my writing on the Normal template: http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm#NormalAgain, you should not be overwriting users' Normal.dotm template. This is bad practice. It is one thing to distribute one for new installations, another entirely to overwrite the template. What is it you are trying to accomplish by doing this? There are likely other ways to accomplish your objectives.
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Joshua Reynolds 6 Reputation points
2022-02-02T23:49:16.633+00:00 yes I'm still getting the error
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Joshua Reynolds 6 Reputation points
2022-02-02T23:59:08.05+00:00 Yes it is being stored in the users template folder, however its not the default user template folder as we use a program called appsense to create their roaming aspects of the profile, which creates a virtual user directory on the OS drive when they log in and within the same appdata structure but under that virtual drive is where the normal.dotm file sits. I have deleted and had word recreate this file successfully without luck. Thanks for the link I may open up the xml of the template and have a read and see if that gives me a direction to look at.
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Charles Kenyon 3,136 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2022-02-03T17:15:26.243+00:00 The Normal template should not be a shared template.
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Emi Zhang-MSFT 30,046 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff2022-02-11T08:40:01.217+00:00 Hi @Joshua Reynolds ,
I have not heard back from you in a few days and wanted to check on the status of the problem. If the reply of CharlesKenyon-8472 is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
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